Butterfly Kisses
by adpi24
Summary: NS. Nick's POV as his daughter grows up. Please R & R.


Butterfly Kisses  
  
Written by Brianna aka adpi24  
  
Couple: N/S  
  
Disclaimer: I don't own the song or the show. I do own the character of Camille though.  
  
AN: I don't know where this came from but I just got the idea to write a story on this song.  
  
Song: Butterfly Kisses by Bob Carlisle. From the album Butterfly Kisses (Shades of Grace). Written in 1996.  
  
Story is written completely in Nick's POV  
  
*~*~*  
  
I fell in love with Sara the first time I saw her, after I came down from the hotel roof I was throwing dummies from. It wasn't until almost four years later that I made my move. After spending years flirting, I finally decided to ask her out on a date. I never expected her to say yes, I expected a gentle turn down. What I got was a woman that I am more and more in love with everyday.  
  
Sara and I married a year after dating. My family, of course, wanted the wedding to be in Texas, while hers wanted it in San Francisco. We finally decided to just ignore them all and marry in Las Vegas. It was a beautiful sunset ceremony in the Las Vegas Botanical Gardens. I cried when I saw her walk down the aisle.  
  
We discussed having children periodically the first couple of years of marriage. Sara knew she wasn't getting any younger, so one day about 3 years into our marriage we decided 'what the hell'. She became pregnant within three months.  
  
*There's two things I know for sure*  
  
*She was sent here from heaven*  
  
*and she's daddy's little girl*  
  
*As I drop to my knees by her bed at night*  
  
*she talks to Jesus, and I close my eyes*  
  
*And I thank God for all of the joy in my life*  
  
*but most of all for.*  
  
The day Camille Meghan Stokes was born was among one of the happiest of my life. She was perfect. Eight pounds, nine ounces, twenty one inches long. She immediately became a daddy's girl. I spoiled her crazy. Sara was also so upset with me, but she couldn't stay angry long. All she had to do was look into Camille's big brown eyes and she would melt too.  
  
*Butterfly kisses after bedtime prayer*  
  
*Stickin' little white flowers all up in her hair*  
  
* "Walk beside the pony daddy, it's my first ride"*  
  
* "I know the cake looks funny daddy, but I sure tried"*  
  
*Oh, with all that I've done wrong*  
  
*I must have done something right*  
  
*To deserve a hug every morning*  
  
*And butterfly kisses at night*  
  
I relished the moments of Camille's childhood. I was the one who took her to preschool, kindergarten, elementary school, middle school and high school. Every year it became harder and harder to accept that my little girl was growing up and that she would no longer need me for everything. As she got older, she and Sara became closer. I became somewhat jealous of their closeness, but I knew that Camille and I would always have a bond.  
  
*Sweet sixteen today*  
  
*She's looking like her momma*  
  
*a little more every day*  
  
*One part woman, the other part girl*  
  
*To perfume and makeup*  
  
*From ribbons and curls*  
  
*Trying her wings out in a great big world*  
  
*but I remember.*  
  
I broke down crying the day Camille started high school. I didn't want to believe that my baby was now a teenager. It became even harder on her sixteenth birthday. Camille wanted a huge sixteenth birthday party, Sara and I agreed. I stopped counting after twenty five teenagers showed up, boys and girls. I found out later from Sara that Camille had her first kiss at this party. I was now prepared to stand guard at the door with a shotgun in hand. I couldn't accept that she wasn't a child anymore.  
  
*Butterfly kisses after bedtime prayer*  
  
*Stickin' little white flowers all up in her hair*  
  
* "You know how much I love you daddy"*  
  
* "But if you don't mind"*  
  
* "I'm only going to kiss you on the cheek this time"*  
  
*With all that I've done wrong*  
  
*I must have done something right*  
  
*To deserve her love every morning*  
  
*And butterfly kisses at night*  
  
Before I knew what happened high school was over. Camille graduated in the top five percent of her class. Sara and I were so proud of her. She received a full ride scholarship to Harvard, Sara's Alma Mater. I again cried when I realized that Camille would be leaving home for school. I tried to be brave in front of Sara and Camille.  
  
I remember one night Camille came up to me, worried about going to school on the east coast. Away from her family, away from her friends. I encouraged her to go, that it was a great opportunity. That she would meet new people at school and that she would have a fantastic time. After the conversation, I felt exactly like Steve Martin's character in the movie Father of the Bride part 2. He convinced his daughter to move to Boston. Telling her they would still see each other. Afterwards he labeled the conversation "I did it for their own good". That was how I labeled this conversation with Camille; I did it for her own good. But it pulled at my heartstrings. I went upstairs to bed and pulled Sara close to me and cried into her chest. She held me and whispered words of comfort.  
  
Taking Camille to Harvard and leaving her was one of the hardest days in my life. She gave me a huge hug before we left, promising to call once a week and email everyday. She kept her word.  
  
*All the precious time*  
  
*Like the wind, the years go by*  
  
*Precious butterfly*  
  
*Spread your wings and fly*  
  
Her senior year of college she began dating Jeremy McNeilson. Camille brought him home for Christmas break. Sara was excited to meet the new boyfriend. I was hesitant. In my mind no one was ever going to be good enough for Camille.  
  
But Jeremy was.  
  
*She'll change her name today*  
  
*She'll make a promise*  
  
*and I'll give her away*  
  
*Standing in the bride room*  
  
*just staring at her*  
  
*She asked me what I'm thinking*  
  
*and I said "I'm not sure, I just feel like I'm losing my baby girl"*  
  
*Then she leaned over.and gave me.*  
  
Jeremy proposed to Camille on her two years after they began dating. She wasn't in any rush to jump into marriage and neither was he.  
  
Jeremy actually flew to Vegas and took me out to dinner. He asked me for my permission to take Camille's hand in marriage.  
  
I was flabbergasted. I didn't know what to say. Over the two years they had been dating, Jeremy became like another child to me, the son I never had. But I wasn't prepared for him wanting to marry my daughter.  
  
I regained my composure when Jeremy began to express his undying love for Camille. I then remembered that I felt the exact same way when I asked Sara to marry me. How could I deny Jeremy and my daughter the same happiness that Sara and I share?  
  
I gave Jeremy my permission to ask Camille and this time I wasn't the only one crying.  
  
*Butterfly kisses, with her mama there*  
  
*Sticking little white flowers all up in her hair*  
  
* "Walk me down the aisle daddy it's just about time"*  
  
* "Does my wedding gown look pretty daddy?"*  
  
* "Daddy don't cry"*  
  
*With all that I've done wrong*  
  
*I must have done something right*  
  
*To deserve her love every morning*  
  
*and butterfly kisses*  
  
My daughter is no longer Camille Meghan Stokes; she is now Camille Meghan McNeilson. My baby girl is married. She is all grown up and married now.  
  
*I couldn't ask God for more, man, this is what love is*  
  
*I know I've gotta let her go, but I'll always remember*  
  
*Every hug in the morning, and butterfly kisses.*  
  
THE END  
  
*~*~*  
  
AN: Okay, I cried writing this. Whenever I write a fiction based on a song, I listen to the song. This song always makes me cry, so ergo I was crying when I wrote this.  
  
Sorry if the ending was abrupt, I just thought those last three verses were perfect in cumulating how Nick was feeling and how he knew he had to let her go. I just didn't feel that it needed to be said.  
  
If you haven't heard the song, go onto Imesh or Kazaa and download it. I encourage this.  
  
Please read and review  
  
Brianna 


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